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Mar 3, 2014

She had called her father twenty times by the time they reached airport. Her mom reasoned that he must be still in office and they were way too early.

All thanks to her excitement. Her dreams of visiting Disneyland were coming true. Ever since she was four, when she first saw pictures of her cousins visiting Disneyland, it was her dream destination. Twelve years after that, it was finally coming true.

Her mom had surprised her with three tickets to HongKong and Disneyland for her sixteenth birthday.

Everyone teased her that at her age she should have grown out of that childhood fantasy, but it was as strong as ever. Disney was the start to her dream of being an animator and at sixteen she was crystal clear towards her ambition to work for Walt Disney.

They checked in swiftly and waited for her dad to arrive before they proceeded for security. Little more than an hour was left to board their flight.

Her enthusiasm was slowly giving way to worry. Forty minutes to boarding and still no sign of her dad. His phone was now switched off.

Thirty minutes to boarding, they called his office. They explained he was on leave. Twenty minutes to boarding, they passed through security and emigration.

Keeping their fingers crossed, they checked with his colleagues and friends. No one knew where he was.

They were announcing their flight. However, neither of them could move without her father.

Her mom called the driver. He said he had dropped boss at the airport about six hours ago.

The airline staff called for their names.

A message beeped.

Her father had landed in Dubai. He had left them and moved to Dubai for a new life with his girlfriend.

She stood there, weeping. Fully knowing, that she didn't want to visit Disneyland ever in her life.

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This post is written for the Project 365 program at We Post Daily aimed at posting at least once a day, based on the prompts provided. The prompt for today is "No, Thanks - A destination you would never want to visit and why?".

Have you found Shades of Life on Facebook yet? Please check it out here.

Please take out time to read more about the featured blogger for the month of March "Aditi Kaushiva" here.

Also, check out the post by a non-blogger who penned down her feeling.

Guests are always welcomed at Shades of Life. Drop me a line at sugandha118@gmail.com and I would love to share your thoughts here.

Jan 2, 2014

Another old post. Someone bumped it up on my wall and it seemed to resonate with my mood this year. This is the answer to most commonly asked question every new year. No offence to anyone's resolution but this is what I feel.

Hoping whatever your resolutions may be - you are granted with strength and the means to fulfill the same. Wishing all my readers a wonderful and blessed New Year

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Yesterday i got in touch with a lot of my friends and family members to wish each other the arrival of the new year.. whole day yesterday, as i answered my phone, the opening statement was a very cheerful "happy new year"(i hope i get some more calls today...)and what followed more was an inquisitive question: Resolution kya liya?? My answer to most of them was "nahi ya..kuch nahi"

So eventually i decided to get into the league and see what can be my new year resolution...so i followed my friends footsteps to find out others resolution...made some calls...wished them new year and asked "Resolution kya liya??" the answers i got were like...From "smoking chod dunga...job dhoond ke rahoonga, is baar padhai mein jyada mann lagungi, saal ke end tak shaadi kar loonga" to "is saal to main naya bf dhoond hi lungi, yaar is saal main apne coaching wali us bandi ko propose kar hi dunga, is saal ke end tak main indepedent settle ho jaunga, etc etc etc..." (bohot lambi list hai, apka kuch special ho to please bata dena)...

After listening to various resolutions...i figured out resolution lene ke funde...

1. Resolution are all about our benefits.(me main mera...mera kya hoga)

2. Resolutions are anything random which we guess no one will remember...(smoking chod dunga and the league)

All these resolutions and their interpretations got me thinking the importance of new year resolution...i just wonder that can our new year resolutions should be about others...a little more simpler...a little do-able...something like...i'd try touch more hearts...sit for some more time with mum and tell her how much i love her...give a little more surprises to my partner/ spouse, shell out a little more than my share of money if my friend is going through hard time...i will stop judging people by their money, car, clothes, house, etc....i will try give out some time/money to some charity, organization needy and make them feel they have equal right to be happy...something like...i will work more on the issues close to me...follow what my heart says.. not what someone like dad's friend's brother's son would say...make one person smile a day...try not to break my parents/sibling/ friends/ spouse/ girl/boy friend's heart by trying to be a rebel...

I will try just be myself...like my mum taught me to...and if this is acceptable...these are my new year resolution...

P.S. (no offence to smoking chod dunga and other resolutions...they are just references)

Nov 22, 2013

The smell of old books floated in the air. She stood there, inhaling the thick air that filled her thoughts with nostalgia. The room was locked for over three months, awaiting her arrival. Her grandfather’s will demanded that the key to his library could be handed over only to his only grand-daughter. For, in the family of business tycoons, she was the only child who loved literature.

Like her grandfather, her paa who had majored in English and had scripted many popular plays and prose, she dreamt of becoming a popular author. However she was still struggling with a couple of her work under print. They were critically acclaimed but never popular.

Now that she was there, she re-lived many years that she had lived in this house, away from her parents to be groomed into a sensible young lady at the convent she attended. She stepped ahead and felt the arms of rocking chair and recalled when she would wait for him to settle down in that chair so she could wrap herself around his legs and not leave till her demands were met. The strong mahogany wood table, reminded her of her duty to arrange things up on that table. She felt the leather back of his chair, where he would sit through the long evenings, furiously typing away a novel or immersed in his thoughts while he created a plot. A half typed page on the type-writer, a tick sound when she pressed a key reminded her of how this would be the only voice in the room while she finished her homework.

She then saw that smaller chair and table, made for her to sit and study, while paa worked. It was this place that introduced her to fairy tales and horror stories. At this very table, she learnt about Jesus and stories of Ram and Buddha. Although, she learnt her subjects in her school, this was the place which gave her the world of her dreams of being a writer and made her who she was. It was at this table where paa told her about his will and she had innocently asked, “Will these books will be divided too?” He told her that she will know eventually.

Standing there she remembered the day when she had to move out of the house for her graduation. Just over there, she had hugged paa from behind and cried. She promised to come back in holidays and he laughed. He held her hand and pulled her to face him. He then asked to promise that whenever she returns, she will finish the pending piece of work. She thought he was mocking and said, “Paa, you have never let me read any till they get published, how will you let me work?” Tears welled up in his eyes and he said, “When you come back, I will be able to trust your ability to write.”

Fifteen years, yes that’s the time she took to return back. Every holiday, she planned and postponed. Sometimes it was for summer school, then internship. Eventually it turned into excuses like too short breaks to travel, then family, marriage, kids, holidays with them, etc. Today she understood, why paa laughed when she said that she will be back soon.

She saw on the table, all her books were lined up. She picked and opened one. Corrections were made, appreciations were written, and comments were scribbled with a pencil on almost every page. Each was dated differently, as if the book had been re-read several times.

She opened the first drawer. There kept his unfinished book and a note. A biography of their lives, which he had left for her to complete.

The book was later published as her first non-fiction, a bestseller and an award winner.

Oct 17, 2013

“Try this one at least”. Priya
pushed her students to work hard before helping them crack a problem. The boys
got onto work. Priya resumed her working. She solved the question while her students
worked.

The pain in her lower abdomen shot
up suddenly. No matter how hard she tried, a slight scream was out before she
could stop it. Tears welled up in her eyes and the world dazed.

Karthik, one of the students saw her
first. He screamed, “Didi! What’s wrong?” Three sets of eyes turned towards her.
For a moment all students paralyzed with shock but very soon sense prevailed.

All four of them got into action.
One called her mother and another got her water to drink.

Even when two gulps of water later,
sweat kept on building on Priya’s forehead, the group decided to take her to
hospital.

Priya was thankful that these four
kids were there with her at this moment. Her mother helped her breath. The only
person she could think of at this moment was Deepti. She asked her mom to call
her up.

An hour later Priya was being rushed
into labour room. She was tired and dizzy. Her body was too fragile to take the
pain that was shooting up. She thought she might faint.

A very friendly nurse and her gynaecologist
were by her side, helping her deliver. “Common Priya.” He mother soothed. Priya
tried harder. The pain was so bad that she fainted.

When Priya woke up, she was transferred
to her room. Next to her was a crib. Her daughter was sleeping. Seeing her
regain her consciousness, nurse came up and gave the baby in her arms.

She generally asked, “Madam! Where is
your husband madam?”

She looked at her child and kissed.
A fresh tear trickled down her cheek.

Oct 16, 2013

Priya had met Ritika at Deepti’s
wedding but had not got any chance to talk. She was meeting Shriya for the
first time that day. She was a bit annoyed to see two new people when she hoped
to sit and talk to her best friend.

The conversation on the table was
mainly around Deepti and her new married life. Her both friends seemed rather
nice. Their care for Deepti showed. Priya slowly forgot her own set of issues
and joined them in teasing Deepti.

They coaxed her into details of her
life and teased her over minor details. Priya laughed till she had her tears in
her eyes. She was grateful to these girls for she did not remember when she had
laughed like this last.

“Common Deepti, tell us more about
your married life” laughed Shriya.

Deepti blushed. “There isn’t much to
tell.”

“Oh yes madam!” the duo teased and
all of them burst out laughing.

It was after about one hour when
Ritika and Shriya left. Girls promised to meet more often and hugs and kisses
later parted ways.

Deepti dragged Priya to a nearby
coffee shop and asked her about her health. Priya had told Deepti all about her
pregnancy and her fall out with Nitin. Deepti was the only person who
understood her position and supported her.

The girls sat there in absolute
silence. Priya didn't have much to tell, and Deepti didn't feel like talking
about herself.

After a while, Deepti broke the
silence. “What next?”

Priya framed the sentence before she
spoke. Then she started in a slow voice. “The baby is due in a month and a
half. I will be home till then. Akash, Shailja aunty’s son wanted some help
with his CS exams, so I agreed to teach him for a small amount. Just yesterday
he said, that one of his friends wanted to join too. So for now, at least next
four - six months, this will be all. Then I will have to look for a job. Mom is
pushing me to get married, but I am not ready.”

Deepti sighed. She didn't really
know how to respond. They were best friends. Sisters that neither had. They had
been through everything together, but today when life was a bed of roses for
Deepti, it seemed the thorns had been picked and laid in Priya’s way. She didn’t
know if it was her own happiness or Priya’s problem that made Deepti feel shallow
and vain.

They drove till Priya’s home in
silence. Parting ways, Deepti said, “let me know if I can help in anyway.”

Priya hugged her friend and
comforted her. “You don’t need to feel sorry. I am fine. Especially now that am
back, I am doing quite good. I will let you know if there is anything you need
to do. Otherwise, for now your support is all I need.” With these words she
opened the door and walked up to her house. Deepti started the car to park it
two houses away and then realized she had to go to her new home, to Harsh.

Oct 15, 2013

Part of my 30 part story, continued from Day 14 - DepressionParting from ones loved ones is
always a tender moment but when it is post marriage, it is really a painful
one.

Deepti tried to control her tears,
but they seemed to have a mind of their own. She dabbed her eyes as she hugged
her mother hard. She sobbed when her aunts blessed her. Patiently standing by
her side, Harsh tried to compose her, but she couldn’t stop.

Priya came ahead. She wiped the
tears of her cheek, and hugged her friend. She whispered good wishes and helped
her get in the car. Even in that moment of parting with her family, Deepti
looked at Priya and wondered how weak she looked.

Next few days were highly busy in
Deepti’s life. Dinners and lunches at relatives and friends, and then a
honeymoon gave Deepti no time to think of anything else. Harsh was doing all
that a good husband would. He attended all the invitations without throwing a fit;
he helped her when she got tired. He pampered her thoroughly during their
honeymoon. He was as good as one could be. Deepti thought to herself that she
might have had a wrong opinion about Harsh. He was well travelled, he had
really wide knowledge, it maybe wasn’t completely wrong that he wanted to
improve her a bit.

Once back, Deepti asked Harsh if it was okay
to join her office back and he simply replied that it was completely okay with
him if she could manage the house and work both. She happily agreed. It was
after a couple of weeks when Harsh one day asked her about her friends.

She suddenly felt guilty that she
was so busy in her own life that she forgot about Priya. She asked Harsh if he
was okay with spending the evening by himself. He happily agreed. She picked up
the phone and called up Priya. After hanging up, on impulse she called up
Ritika and Shriya too.

Oct 14, 2013

Priya’s world seemed to have
crashed. The tears that she strongly held back when her father went through
accident, when Nitin didn’t turn up at the airport, when she found the
apartment empty, now came flowing down.

She remembered the time when she
realized that she had missed her periods, and found out that she was pregnant.
Nitin and Priya were living together for about a year. She had landed on bed
with tears in her eyes. She thought of abortion, but Nitin consoled her. He
stopped her from doing so, he said that they’ll get married as soon as
possible.

Keeping that as a plan, she went to
India for a holiday, thinking that he would join her and they will together
announce her wedding. That’s why she hadn’t told anything to her parents or to
Deepti.

In the coming weeks, grief engulfed
Priya as though she had nothing to live for. Her performance at work deteriorated,
her social circle disappeared. She denied all invitations to meet friends and
missed office every now and then. She visited her gynecologist who advised
her against abortion and asked her to stay healthy.

It was about two months later;
notice came from her landlords, for the end of her tenure. She realized she
could no longer afford a place like that. She called Sushant to help.

When he came down to see her, he was
shocked at her appearance. He cajoled her to tell him the entire story, after
which he took an appointment with a Counselor He also encouraged Priya to
tell everything to her mother.

Her mother was surprisingly
supportive. She said she understood, and asked her that she could come back
home if she wanted. However, keeping in mind the society, Priya chose to stay
back.

However, even at the end of two
months, she was unable to find a place. She had decided to move into a hostel,
when Sushant requested her to come and live with him as flatmates while she
found a decent place.

Under her counsellor’s supervision
and Sushant’s support, Priya nurtured her health back to normal; however she
was still weak to be seven months pregnant. Things were still difficult at
work. She had received several warnings during her depression and it was too
much of a task to keep up with pressure with her present health.

When she walked in her boss’s office
to ask for a maternity leave from next month, he sort of warned her once again
that at the end of this leave, she could lose her job. It irritated Priya to
the extent that she resigned at that very moment, gave a major part of her
saving as compensation for discontinuing without notice and bought a ticket
back home to be just in time for her friend’s wedding.

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What next is in store for Priya? Is life as a single mother going to be easy? Read more on Day 15.

Oct 12, 2013

Life had shown Priya more than a
fair share of miseries in last seven months. She sat there and sighed as she
wondered how she got the strength to even survive through all that she had gone
through.

Priya was one of the meekest girls
in her batch. All her life she had seek Deeti’s support and stayed out of the
limelight. When she moved to Singapore, she was highly scared. She had somehow
survived. But when her dad went through the accident, she for the first time
learnt to take up responsibilities.

Sitting in the mandap of her best
friend’s wedding she thought about the plans she had made for herself.

When she last came to India, Nitin
was supposed to come down to announce their engagement. They were to have a
small wedding in Singapore in a month.
They had decided to make their relationship official.

Maybe it was that assurance, that
Priya wasn’t scared of her future.

She thought about the last time she
was with Deepti. They had gone to the airport to pick up Nitin. It was on her
way that she received a message from Nitin that he couldn’t tell her earlier,
but he could not take the flight due to some urgent work. He was re-scheduling
his trip.

Priya waited for him for next two
days to re-schedule his plan, at the end of which she received a brief call
when he said that he had to go to Hong Kong to the company’s headquarters.

She left for Singapore as planned
still single. When Nitin did not call or answer messages, she had not thought a
lot into it. However, when she unlocked her apartment and found several things,
Nitin’s things missing, the reality sunk in.

He had left. Even without a proper
word. He left a note, saying Sorry and asking her to check her mails.

She dumped all her bags and opened
her laptop. In the mail Nitin had simply told her that he was shifting to Hong Kong
and he wasn’t ready to take the responsibility. Neither hers, nor of her unborn
child.

Oct 10, 2013

Priya had gotten back home almost after six months.
Given the new conditions of her dad’s paralysis she had resolved to come back
more frequently but her own life didn’t allow her to come back. She couldn’t have
been a burden on her parents while grieving for her loss while her mother
struggled to cope up with the new routine of nursing her father.

However, this was the occasion that she wouldn’t miss
for anything. Keeping her problems aside, she had resolved to come back to
India, an idea that her shrink excitedly supported. On her last meeting he had
told her, “Priya leave your worries behind and go have the best of times. You
need to spend time around people who love you.”

She was scared, but finally on the wedding day, she
put together all her remaining savings and bought a last moment flight to India
and managed to reach the venue just in time without getting a chance to go
home.

She asked the driver to park in front of the house and
got out. “Oh my god! Look who is here!” shrieked her brother and came running
to help her with her bags.

Her mom seemed equally surprised but more because she
was supposed to be at Deepti’s wedding. Mildly scolding, she asked “what are
you doing here? You should have at least waited for her phera to start”

Priya cried, “Mom, I am home after six long months. And
I couldn’t wait to see you. Plus, why didn’t you go? I thought I’ll meet you
there. Had I known you won’t go, I would have come home first and then gone for
her wedding.”

“Anyway fast, I have just come to drop my bags, say a
hello to dad and go back. Yash can drop me. Do you want to come?” She continued
towards dad’s room while gesturing Yash to keep her bags in her room and come
back.

“No I don’t want to, plus your dad is sleeping, I want
to be by his side in case he needs something.” Her mother pleaded.

Quickly changing her killing heels into flats she came
out of her room. She wondered how six months ago she could dance all night in
those.

When she walked back into the venue a very worried Ritika
came rushing to her. She shouted, “Where did you go without meeting Deepti? She
has been so worried. She is trying your number, she is in the room right now,
went to get some rest while the preparation for phera were over.”

Priya hurried towards the direction Ritika rushed to.

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What has happened with Priya in these six months? What is in the sore for the girls? Read more at Day 11.

Oct 9, 2013

One year ago – Deepti was rushing out of the parlour.
She was late. Cursing under her breath she made her way to the car. After all
who gets late for her own wedding?

She sat in the car, on her way to the venue, bundled
with nervousness and anger at the parlour. It was her big day. Deepti hated the
constant ringing phone while Ritika shouted at each and every caller with same
answer. “Where is Priya? Where is her best friend?” Deepti wondered.

Calming her nerves down, Shriya asked Deepti to close
her eyes and relax. But relaxing was almost impossible. She thought of Harsh’s
comment from the function yesterday when he said that her make-up was too much.
She absently touched her face and prayed that there was nothing wrong with her
make up today.

“Forty minutes late” text from Harsh read as they
parked the car and Deepti struggled to get out.

She walked up to the gate where ribbon cutting was in
process. She stopped in her tracks when she heard someone cheering and teasing
Harsh. Priya?? Her best friend was really there!

Suddenly all her worries disappeared and she took a
confident step ahead.

Though it was her wedding she managed to give a quick
hug to Priya before going ahead to the stage.

She looked at Harsh. He looked just awesome. She
extended her hand to hold his for a minute. He looked at her and gave her a
mock glare. She saddened.

Deepti didn’t have to be sad for long. Long queue of
relatives from both sides kept coming up, cracking few jokes, livening up
things, clicking pictures.

After a while, she realized that she hadn’t seen Priya
ever since the ribbon cutting. She asked one of her friends to ask Priya and
Nitin to come up too. She replied, “But last I saw Priya, she was going out to
the parking.”

“What is wrong with Priya? Is everything okay? She has
to speak to her, but how?” Deepti thoughts were stopped short as some friends
dragged the couple to the dance floor.

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Where did Priya go? What's in the store for Deepti? Read more on Day 9.

Oct 7, 2013

I am participating in
Ultimate Blog Challenge and writing a story as part of daily post. Having
written the post for the day, I was more or less done for the day.

However, then I came across the prompt from
Indibloggeshwaris and couldn’t resist.

Rightly said, friends are the family we choose. And my
family that I have chosen to live with for past two years is my roommate.

There are so many moments that I can think of when I
think of this girl. One of the most hilarious ones is when a friend hopelessly
tries to pit us against someone as a joke and we rather bash him up.

Friends, whom we live with, become more like our
sisters and our family. As much as we do appreciate our space, we miss them
when they aren’t around.

Good music, good food, good wine and good times. What
else does one need when you have a good friend as a roommate?

Love you girl.

***************

Well, my post on friends won’t be complete without
posting anything for my two lovely ladies who are now happily married and are
busy with their lives.

No matter how far our childhood friends maybe, there
is never a distance between hearts. No matter how seldom we speak, there is
never any communication missed.

These are the girls whom I have grown up with and
against all evens and odds our friendship has lasted.

They know my secrets, my embarrassing tales. We have
been with each other through crushes, love, breakups and patch ups. We have
driven each other crazy and cried over silly fights. There are countless
memories that we together smile at.

Deepti and Priya rushed to the Sadar Bazar government
hospital. The world had dazed in front of Priya’s eyes.

The hospital was a mess. Crying, wailing men, women
and children were everywhere. The reception counter was full of people with
questions. There were journalists, camera and police.

Priya and Deepti searched for Mr. Khan who had called
her to police station. “I found his phone and wallet in this bag. We want you
to go and meet him at room number 125 on first floor.” Mr. Khan said handing
over her dad’s belonging to Priya.

Priya let out a cry. Consoling her he said, “You
should be relieved. He is still alive.”

In room number 125 there were doctors consulting over
a serious matter. One of them looked up from the board and looked at Priya. “I
am his daughter.” Priya replied.

“Ok. Well, he has some internal injuries and he has
lost a leg but mainly his body is paralyzed due to shock. We have spoken to
Trauma Centre at AIIMS. We will transfer him there in morning” Doctor gave a
full account of her father’s health.

“Let him sleep now, you can come back in morning. Be here
before eight.” A junior doctor continued.

Priya walked up to the bed. There lied her dad. Still
under sedation, he slept as if nothing had happened. Doctors had cleaned his
smaller wounds and had already operated on his leg which lay perfectly hidden under
the sheet.

Once home Priya switched on the television. She sat
there listening to the news and consoling her mother. In serial bomb blasts in
Chandni Chowk, there were over 20 dead and more than 80 injured. Death toll
could go up, it said.

It seemed so unfair, so rude. She called up Nitin. It
must be early morning in Singapore, phone went unanswered.

Tired and deeply hurt, Priya put her mother to her bed
and went to sleep. She had to be at the hospital in morning.

In her dream, everything was perfect. She was back in
Singapore. Nitin and Priya were married. Her parents had come to visit them and
she was lovingly taking them to Singapore flyer.

Shrill voice of her alarm woke her up out of her
dream. She switched it off and stretched. Reality dawned upon her. She was
home. Her father was at hospital. There was still no news from Nitin.

She sent a text to Nitin to call her back as soon as
possible and got up to get ready.

-------------------------------

How is this going to change Priya's life? Will everything will be normal for her once again? Stay tuned for more on Day 7.

Sep 30, 2013

I got a prompt to write a letter to my sibling/closest cousin and well! I could only think of you.

With our age difference and lives in different hostels, we hardly ever spent our childhood together. My memory of our childhood together is mostly limited to summer breaks where all of us would meet once a year under the roof of our mother’s childhood home.

When you shifted to Delhi in order to complete your graduation, my first thought of that was of indifference. However, after initial shock (on your part) and indifference (on my part) we graduated to being more friends than sisters.

In last five years, I have shared with you all my secrets and embarrassing stories. I have had so much fun staying up late, eating/munching and chatting. I love the memories of times I spent walking around the GK market with you. Especially the winter evenings, with a coffee cup in hand, endless conversations while we took rounds of the park.

Last couple of years; you haven’t been as close as earlier in terms of actual distance but it hasn’t made much difference. For all I know, you are the first person I would call if I am extremely happy or extremely distressed. And we both know that it is both ways.

My dear sister, I have never said it in so many words, but you mean a lot to me. I love you. I would like to assure you once again that I am there if you ever need me. You can count on me like I can.

Sep 5, 2013

My original post planned for the day was seven people I love the most. But keeping in mind that today is teacher’s day celebrated in India; I change my post to seven teachers of high importance in my life.

Since everyone we meet, knowingly or unknowingly, whether we like or not, teaches us something, my post is categorized into groups who taught me a certain thing. This isn’t a first or second list, it is in the order of when I met them in my life.

Aug 29, 2013

I received a package from home. Someone was visiting so my mother decided to pack a few things for me. We sibling often call it as “Maa ka Pyaar package”. The package usually contains some food items, maybe some clothes that she bought for an occasion, some cash as blessings and a letter.

I know we are in 21st century and almost every Indian who can afford a decent meal can afford a phone connection. I speak to her each day, but we still prefer to write letters time to time.

Each time I get to know that there is a package coming, I can hardly wait. Food items are always a surprise and as always mom knows the likes and dislikes best.

So today it was. I received the package through my uncle and I could hardly contain my excitement. I could already smell the oil and tangy mango pickle. Summers have just gone by and she must have made some fresh pickle.

Aug 4, 2013

Some of my posts in July have revolved around my best friend’s wedding and this friendship day (otherwise I find the concept a bit over-hyped) I get a bit nostalgic over the years spent with the friends who have been with me through most of my life.

Jul 30, 2013

Today is the second last day of the Ultimate Blog Challenge (Yipeee!!!), and the most challenging day in the entire month. I have been on road since 5 am and the day is almost about to end. I caught cold and have a pathetic headache since noon. I didn’t have my laptop and my phone constantly had low battery alarm. (Thanks to the maps on smartphone). Therefore, here I am, managing to put a small post just before the deadline.